Australia's Most Exciting Crypto Projects for 2018

Australia may be far from everything geographically, but when it comes to cryptocurrencies, it is at the centre of some of the industry’s most exciting projects. Whether they’re making eating out easier, more interesting and less expensive, or creating a more secure voting system, Australian companies are fast becoming the vanguard of blockchain technology. Here’s our eight picks of some of the most innovative crypto projects to keep an eye on.

Crypto for the Mainstream

LivenPay
Liven is the first Australian crypto project to have a platform available for use by the masses. The concept is simple (and alluring) – eat and earn. It lets food lovers discover amazing venues, pay instantly with their phones and earn Liven Cash (LVN), the digital currency for food. Founded by tokenomics experts Grace and William Wong and David Ballerini, the startup has already been running successfully for three years. The team has a number of high-profile advisors on board and in April announced it was raising 65,000 Ether (around million through an initial coin offering. With such a viable product, the startup was able to raise $10 million in venture capital last year.

CanYa
Finding a good freelancer can be tricky. And as most freelancers know, it can be just as difficult to find reliable clients. That’s where CanYa comes in. This Melbourne-based startup is looking to get rid of the red tape by creating a peer-to-peer marketplace powered by blockchain. In December 2017, it launched its digital currency CanYaCoin, raising $12 million through an initial coin offering (ICO) – Australia’s second-most successful to date.

Power Ledger
Based out of Perth, this startup has a very ambitious goal – to disrupt Australia’s power industry. The idea is to create a peer-to-peer network where consumers can buy and sell renewable energy directly from one another. The advantages are many: it promotes green energy, provides more money for people with excess power and offers greater transparency. By October 2017, it had already raised $34 million in its presale and crowd sale periods. Since then, it’s made a number of notable partnerships, including Northwestern University and the City of Fremantle.

Horizon State
Could blockchain make voting more democratic? The founders of Horizon State think so. This Aussie company looks to use the technology to provide a secure voting structure, offering a platform with campaign-related information and analytic tools that you can use to study the effectiveness of campaigns and voter behaviour. The startup has partnered with the UN Intergovernmental Organisation Be Earth Foundation to help it achieve one of UN’s Sustainable Developments and its blockchain voting platform ‘MiVote’ is already gaining attention. In October 2017, Horizon State raised $1.4 million through its token sale.

Skrilla
This Brisbane-based startup is promising to do very exciting things in the esports sector. Founded by Damon Oudejans and Nick Heaney – experts from Puntaa and GAMURS Group – Skrilla is currently the only regulated esports booker in Australia. By leveraging blockchain technology, the company aims to provide a secure and engaging platform where esports fans can watch games, compete in contests and collect their winnings. Skrilla launched a token sale in November 2017 to raise just under $800,000. The Skrilla token (SKR ticker) is now available on popular esports like League of Legends and CS:GO. The team also plans to expand into the Canadian market.

Gaze Coin
Most people try to avoid ads. But what if you were rewarded for engaging with advertising content? That’s what Gaze Coin hopes to do. Launched in Melbourne by award-winning mixed reality producer Jonny Peters, Gaze Coin is virtual platform that can track your eyes as you take part in the immersive experience. Players are rewarded Gaze Coins or GZE for engaging with the campaign and brands pay only for the genuine interaction a player has had with the content. The futuristic project is already said to have a MOU in the pipeline with a notable artist.

Blockgrain
Founded by fifth-generation farmer Caile Ditterich, Blockgrain is Australia’s first ever agricultural token. By using blockchain technology, the startup aims to help farmers build their own supply chain and directly connect with international buyers. The hope is that this will remove the unnecessary intermediaries and paperwork and give farmers greater visibility. It’s token sale began on April 26 and will end on July 31. The company has already raised $3.5 million in presale contributions, which have come from 1,000 different investors.